International leader appointed to head engineering

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

The University of Adelaide has today announced the appointment of an international leader in engineering, Professor Anton Middelberg, as its new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences.

In a career that started at the University of Adelaide and has taken him around the world, Professor Middelberg has built an outstanding reputation as a research leader and senior executive over more than 25 years.

Currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and International) at the University of Queensland, Professor Middelberg's appointments have included positions at the universities of Adelaide and Cambridge, an ARC Federation Fellowship and Queensland Premier’s Fellowship within the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, and an Honorary Professorship at Tianjin University, China.

With a background in chemical and biomolecular engineering, Professor Middelberg is among the University of Adelaide's most distinguished graduates. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours and medals for Chemical Engineering and Engineering in 1989, and a PhD at the University of Adelaide in 1993. After winning a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research at the University of California, Berkeley, he went on to receive a Master of Arts (MA) in 2001 as a Fellow of Selwyn College Cambridge.

In 2004, he became a member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and a fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK. In 2006 he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).

Author of more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles – including three highly cited papers in the last four years – Professor Middelberg is currently Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Chemical Engineering Science and an Associate Editor of Vaccine.

"Anton's leadership skills and strategic vision will be critically important to his role as Executive Dean," says the University's Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mike Brooks.

"We look forward to Anton's tremendous experience and energy providing a major boost to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and research in the University and the State, at a time when South Australia presents enormous opportunities."

Professor Middelberg says: "I’m delighted to return to Adelaide after some time away, and look forward to steering the growing success of an enterprise that I am deeply passionate about.

"The University of Adelaide has a strong international reputation in the fields of engineering and technology, and I believe we can build further to improve outcomes for our partners, especially our students, and those who rely on the power of University research, including industry and government. There are many great opportunities for us to capitalise on," he says.

Professor Middelberg's appointment will start on 31 July.

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